Crate



0. F. ARTHUR Nov. 21, 1950 CRATE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4, 1948INVENTOR. 0504/? F. A R THUR. BYMAII M ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1950 FiledSept. 4, 1948 O. F. ARTHUR CRATE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 0:042 Ff AATHUE.

Jaz's fiTTO/PNEJT 0. F.v ARTHUR Nov; 21, 1950 CRATE 3 Sheets-Sheet FiledSept. 4, 1948 15 05cm? F. AETHUE.

HTT'CDE/VEYI Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRATE 7Oscar F. Arthur, Connellsville, Pa.

Application September 4, 1948, Serial No. 47,846

9 Claims.

My invention relates to a crate of a form especially suited for use intransporting and storing munitions shells or other articles which can beheld between a base and a cover that are adjustable perpendicularly toeach other to engage end portions of the articles.

One object of my invention is to provide a crate or carrier of such formthat it will be adequate to contain a plurality of articles in a unitarygroup for transport or storage, without the necessity of having thearticles completely enclosed and which is adaptable to use with articlesof various vertical dimensions.

Another object of my invention is to provide a crate of the characterreferred to which may be of light weight relative to the articles to becarried thereby and which is provided with hoisting-engaging elements ofsuch form that they will be contained within the marginal vertical andhorizontal planes of the crate when they are not in use, to facilitatestacking of the crates.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing the baseportion of the crate; Fig. 2 is a side view; Fig. 3 is an end view; Fig.4 is a plan view of the upper portion of the crate; Fig. 5 is a sideview thereof; Fig. 6 is an end View; Fig. 7 is a side view showing thecrate in use and as a container for shells, and Fig. 8 shows a modifiedform of crate.

As shown in Fig. 7, the crate comprises a base portion I and a combinedcover and rack H held together by anchoring rods 12 to contain shellsl3.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 which show details of the base It],this base comprises a marginal metal band l4 that has heavy wires orrods l welded to its undersurface and wires or rods l6 and I1 welded tothe band [4 and to one another, to thereby form lattice work forsupporting the shells l3. Retaining rings H! are welded to the uppersurface of the mesh for supporting the lower ends of the shells againstshifting laterally.

Tie rods 19 and 20 are welded in generally crosswise relation toanchoring bars 2| that are threaded to receive the lower ends of theanchoring rods l2. Other tie rods 22 extend in generally crosswiserelation to the bars to the base rods 2i and the rods l9 and 20 and arewelded thereto to assist in supporting the bars.

The cover H has a top sheet of lattice form that comprises an encirclingmetal band 24 to which are welded longitudinal and. transverse rods orheavy wires 25 and 26. The cover sheet has depending therefrom a rackportion that comprises wires 21 and 28 that may suitably be of yoke-likeform having their upper ends welded to the frame band 24, and welded toone another at their lower planes. Shell-retaining rings 30 are weldedto the underfaces of the members 21-28 to encircle the upper ends of theshells l3.

Anchoring bars or plates 32 to receive the anchoring rods [2 aresupported in the cover by stirrup o1- yoke-shaped brace rods 33 and 34that are welded at their lower and upper ends respectively, to the rackand the cover sheet.

The anchoring rods [2 are in the form of eye bolts that have shoulders35 formed thereon for engagement with the bars or plates 32 when therods are screwed down to draw the cover and the base toward one anotherand to thereby securely grip or clamp the shells l3. Lifting links 36are carried b the rods I2 for engagement with a crane hook 31. When thecrane hook is not in use, and particularly when the crates are to bestacked on one another, the links can lie within the depressions orpockets 38, below the top plane of the cover.

It will be seen that the shells are held firmly against lateral andvertical movements and with their upper ends and below the topmost planeof the cover. Also, if cylindrical articles are to be carried, the ringsl8 and 30 will be made of the required diameter, the wires 39 in the topof the cover serving to engage the upper ends of cylindrical or othershapes, the rings being formed tosuit the articles to be carried.

Fig. 8 shows a form of structure wherein the upper and lower ends ofarticles 42 are held against lateral movements as in Fig. '7. Thearticles 42 can be long, or short (as in the case of battery cases, forexample) and of any crosssectional shape. A stop bar 4| limits upwardmovements of the articles 42 and reduces danger of damage to the upperends of the articles through impacts on the cover, because of theclearance above 4 I While the crates can be made of steel rods or othersuitable materials, if they are to be used around munition depots, it isdesirable that they be made of non-ferrous material, aluminum alloy orother non-ferrous alloy, or of wood, so that when being pushed along afloor or stacked, sparks will not be created.

I claim as my invention:

1. A crate comprising a fabricated metal base having a plurality ofretaining members on its upper face, to prevent lateral shifting ofshells and the like that are placed in upright position on the base, tierods secured to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, bars attachedto the upper ends of the rods and having verticallydisposed threadedholes, a cover having depending rack members in position to receiveupper portions of the shells and to support them against lateralmovements, the cover having a top sheet spaced above the rack members,and threaded anchoring rods extending through the cover and havingthreaded engagement at their inner ends with the said bars and at theirouter ends having shouldered engagement with the cover, whereby thecover and base are detachably connected together to retain shells in thecrate.

2. A crate comprising a fabricated metal base having a plurality ofretaining members on its upper face, to prevent lateral shifting ofshells and the like that are placed in upright position on the base, tierods secured to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, bars attachedto theupper ends ,of the tie rods and having vertically-disposedthreaded holes, a cover having depending rack members in position toreceive upper portions of the shells and to support them against lateralmovements, the cover having a top sheet spaced above the rack members,threaded anchoring rods extending through the cover and .having threadedengagement at their inner ends with the said bars and at their outerends having shouldered engagement with the cover and being below the topsurface of the cover, whereby the cover and base are detachablyconnected together to retain shells in the crate, and lifting linksconnected to the upper ends of the rods.

.3. A crate as recited in claim 2, wherein there are depressions in thetop of the crate, to re- ,ceivethe links when they are released fromhoisting hooks.

4. A crate comprising a base having a plurality of retaining members onits upper face to prevent lateral shifting of shells and the likethatare placed in upright position onthe base, anchoring bars carried bythe base, in elevated position with respect to the retaining members, acover having depending rack members in position to receive upperportions of the shells and to support them against lateral and upwardmovements, the cover having a top sheet spaced above-the rack membersand anchoring rods detachably'connecting the cover to the said bars andlongitudinally adjustable with respect thereto.

5. A crate comprising a fabricated-metal base having a plurality ofcircular rings on its upper surface, to receive the lower ends of shellsand prevent lateral shifting thereof, a cover having depending rackmembers that include rings of smaller diameter than the first-namedrings, in position to receive upper portions of the shells and tosupport them against lateral movements, the cover having a top sheetspaced above the rackmembers, means detachably connecting the cover tothe base, the last-namedmeans comprising an anchoring bar supporting inelevated position by the base, and an anchoring bar carried by the coveradjacent to its mid plane, to-

:gether with a shouldered rod extending through one of the said bars andhaving threaded connection with the other bar.

6. A crate comprising a fabricated metal base having a plurality ofretaining members on its 4 on the base, anchoring bars positioned inelevated position with respect to said retaining members, tie rodsextending in downwardly and relatively flared relation and connected attheir upper and lower portions to the bars and the base, respectively, acover having a top plate of lattice form and a depending rack of metalrods welded to the top plate, the said rack having openings to receivethe upper ends of shells,

and means for detachably connecting the cover to the anchoring bars.

7. A crate comprising a fabricated metal base having a plurality ofretaining members on its upper face, to prevent lateral shifting ofshells and the like that are placed in upright position on the base,anchoring bars positioned in elevated position with respect to saidretaining members-tie rods connected to the bars and the base, alongangularly disposed lines between the retaining members and welded to thebase, a cover having a top plate of lattice form and 2. depending rackof metal rods welded to the top plate, the said rack having openings toreceive the upper ends of shells, and means for detachably connectingthe cover to the base, the lastnamed means comprising tie rods dependingthrough plates carried by the cover at an intermediate plane thereof andhaving threaded connection with the first-named bars.

8. A crate as recited in claim 7 wherein the rods are of an eye-.boltform and carry elongated links Whose ends are movable upwardly throughthe top plane of the cover for connection of hoisting hooks.

9. A crate comprising a base having a plurality of retaining members onits upper face, to prevent lateral shifting of articles that are placedon the base, anchoring bars positioned in elevated position with respectto said retaining members, tie rods connected to thebars and the baseand extending downwardly in relatively flared relation to points betweenthe retaining members and there secured to the base, a coverhaving'recesses in its upper side and having secured thereto anddepending therefrom a rack that is provided with openings to receive theup per ends of the articles on the base, and threaded anchoring rodsextending through the cover and having threaded connection near theirlower ends with the anchoring bars, the rods having heads that liewithin said recesses and having shouldered engagement with upwardlyexposed surfaces on said rack.

OSCAR F. ARTHUR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 182,359 Dilts Sept. 19, 1876288,617 Bradley Nov. 20, 1883 557,706 Riviere Apr. 7, 1896 808,854 MayerJan. 2, 1906 1,274,828 Williams Aug. 6, 1918 1,698,489 Bickford Jan. 8,1929 1,991,481 Woodbridge Feb. 19, 1935 2,303,240 Strong Nov. 24, 1942FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,498 Great Britain Aug. 9, .1915

